Page 47
wa-ttaqū yawman turjaʿūna fīhi ʾilā llāhi thumma tuwaffā kullu nafsin mā kasabat wa-hum lā yuẓlamūna
And beware of a day in which you will be brought back to Allah. Then every soul shall be recompensed fully for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 281
281. "And be in awe of a Day in which you shall be returned to Allah, and every one shall be paid in full what the one has earned; and they shall not be dealt with unjustly."
After stating some particular characteristics of the divine ordinances and Islamic affairs, the normatic custom of the Qur'an is that it often brings a general, common and inclusive notification forth at the end of a group of verses in order to emphasize and strengthen what has been cited before, and in order that the senses penetrate in the mind and spirit. Therefore, in this verse, having attracted the attentions of the believers to the Resurrection and the chastisement of the wrong doers there, it warns them to be aware that there is a great Day in front when all the actions of every person, without anything less or more, totally will be given to him. .
It is at that time that the one will terribly wonder about the consequence of his evil deeds. They are the fruit of what he himself has produced. No one has done unjust against him, but he himself has done wrong against himself.
However, usury has ethically a very bad effect on the spirit of the debtor so that he finds a special spite in his heart against the usurer. It slackens the cord of social cooperation and mutual assistance amongst the members of communities. In Islamic narrations it is cited upon the prohibition of usury that Husham-ibn-Salim has narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) who said:
"Verily, Allah, Almighty and Glorious, has forbidden usury so that people do not avoid of doing good work." 1
1. Ibn-Mas'ud narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S) who said:
"There have not been usury and fornication in no community save that they have incurred the punishment of Allah upon themselves." 2
2. Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) said:
"O' people! Learn the jurisprudence and the laws of the religion at first, and then go after trading. By Allah, usury is found in this so that it is more concealed than the movement of an ant over a hard smooth stone." 3
3. Imam Sadiq (as) said:
"On the Day of Judgement, three persons are in the shelter of Allah, Almighty and Glorious, until the one becomes free from the Divine reckoning: 1) The person who has never taken action in fornication; 2) The person who has never mixed his property with usury; and 3) The person who has never had any effort in usury and fornication." 4
4. The holy Prophet (S) said:
"The business being in usury is the worst jobs." 5
5. Imam Rida (as) said:
"Beware that certainly usury is an unlawful job which causes shame and disgrace. It is among the great sins for which Allah has promised the Fire of Hell upon the executor, and we refuge to Allah from the Fire of Hell. And, according to all prophets and all the heavenly Book, usury is unlawful." 6
6. The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
"Most of my anxiety about my Ummah is for the unlawful jobs and unlawful incomes." 7
7. The holy Prophet (S) said:
"The worshipper who does not avoid unlawful wealth and unlawful food, is like the one who builds upon a sandy land." 8
8. Jabir said that the Prophet (S) cursed the usurer, the writer of it, and its witness."9
9. A similar tradition to the above one is mentioned in Sahih-i-Bukhari, 3, and p. 78.
Footnotes